The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-02-25
THE RED ACORN,
by JOHN M'ELROY,
Author Of "Andersonville," Etc
Copyrighted by National Tribune Publishing Co.,
and published by arrangement with them.]

"onaue OF ling solomon" said kent t
Abe, after their party had ridden for two OF
three hours through the mountains toward
London. ~ wonder il there is any Other
kind Of worldly knowledge that l know as
little about as l did Of scouting when We
started out' My eyes have been opened tc
my own ignorance. / used to have the con
ceit that we two could play fair hand at any
game of war they could get up for our enter
tainment But these Kentuckians give Inc
points every hundred yards that | never SC
much as dreamed Of. Theirs is the wis lon
of serpents when compared with our dove.
like innocence"
II like dovc-lilic innocence" interrupted
Abe.
"But did you ever see anybody that could
10 through the country as these fellows canr
It's just marvellous. They know every short
cut to every point, and they know just where
to go every time to see away ahead without
being seen themselves. 1t would puzzle the
sharpest Confederate bushwhacker to get the
drop vI them"
II don't know as I want to learn their way
OF doing" said Abe, crustily. ut looks like
sneaking, OH big scale, that's ALL And I'm
ashamed of this laying round behind a log or
rock to pop man over. 1t amt my style
at all. believe in open and above board
fighting, give and take and may the best
man VIM"
$50 do I, though suppose all's fair IN war.
But when we scout wc give them the same
chance to knock us over that they give us
when they scout. I'll admit it looks like
murder to shoot men down that way, for it
does not help either side along particle
But these Kentuckians have a great many
private injuries to avenge, and they can't do
it any otter way"
All the people of the region were intensely
Union, SO it was not difficult to get exact in
formation of the movements Of the Confed-
crates, and as the scouts drew near London
they became assured that not only all of
Zolicoffcr's infantry, but his small parties of
cavalry, had retreated beyond tho town. Our
scouts, therefore, putting Edwal DIS and Bolton
to the front, that their blue uniforms might
tell the character of the party, spurred into
gallop, and dashed into London, to be Nc
ceived with boundless enthusiasm.
Somebody ought to ride back to Wildcat
Immediately" said Kent, after they had en-
joyed their reception a little while, land re-
port this to tho general"
All asscnted to this proposition.
ut is really tho duty of myself and COM
rade here to do it," said Kent, shifting un-
lii llllu u COI1lIOr place
to sit upon; "but as we have been for two
days riding the hardest backed horses over
roads that were simply awful and as pre-
vious to that time we had not taken any
equestrian exercise for several years, there
are some fundamental reasons-that is, rea-
sons lying at the very base of things (he
shifted again)-why we should not be called
upon to do another mile of horseback riding
hOch tn
else his soothing and healing influence, so to
speak. Abe, believe have stated the case
with my usual happy combination of grace
and delicacy?"
"You have, as usual, flushed tail race of
big words"
In Short" Kent went on ("Ah, thank
you. That is delicious. The best l ever
drank. Your mountain stills make the finest
applejack in the world. There must be
something In the water-that you don't put
IN. It's as smooth as new made butter.
Well here's to the Banner of Beauty and
Glory.) In short, as 1 was saving when
you Hospitality interrupted me, we are will
ing to do anything for the cause, but unless
there is some other way of riding, the most
painful effort l could make for our beloved
country would be to mount that horse again.
and ride another hundred yards To be mes
senger of this good news would be bliss; what
prevents it is blister"
The crowd laughed boisterously.
Mister" said one of the Kentuckians who
accompanied them with that peculiar drawl-
ing infection of the word that it were hope
less to attempt to represent in print, "ef We
want ter send some one in yer places me an
81 heah will be powerful glad ter co. Jes'
git a note ter the jineral at Wildcat ready
while we saddle fresh beasts, an We'll hev hit
in his hands afore midnight"
The proposition was Immediately accepted,
and In a little while the Kentucl1ians were
speeding their way back to Gen. Schepf,
with letter giving the news and signed
"Kent Edwards, Chief of Scouts"
That evening party of young men who
had followed the Confederate retreat some
distance, brought in wagon which had been
concealed in an out of the way place, and left
there. 1t was loaded mainly with things
taken from the houses, and was evidently tina
private collection Of some freebooting sub
ordinate, who did not intend that the South
ern Confederacy should be enriched bv the
property Hence, probably, the hesitation
about taking it along with the main train.
1t was handed over to Kent as the representa-
tive of the United States, who was alone au-
'AA"i A"@U w 'elhc SAdi e,e VI III. Assisted by
Abe he started to mako an inventory of its
contents. A portly jug of applejack was
kept at hand, that there might not be any
suffering from undue thirst during the course
of the operation, which, as Kent providcntly
remarked was liable to make man as dry as
an Arizona plain.
The danger Of such aridity seemed to grow
more imminent continually, judged by the
frequency of their applications to the jug.
1t soon became more urgent than the COM
pletion of tho inventory. Frequent visits Of
loyal kentuclians with other jugs and bot.
ties, to drink to the renewed supremacy of
the Banner of Beauty and Glory, did not
diminish Kent's and Abe's apprehensions of
ultimate thirst Their clay seemed like some
other kinds, which have their absorptive
powers strengthened by the more they take
up. They belonged to not unusual class of
men whom it takes about as long to get
drunk as it does to heat up an
iron furnace but the condition that they
achieve then makes the intoxication of other
and ordinary men seem very mild and tame
exhilaration.
By noon the next day this process was